Caught
by MOLTENblue
Summary: Even the most levelheaded people get caught in the act. Yuffentine.


Disclaimer: I own nothing

Note: This has a half sequel, Piece by Piece.

Revised: July 2008

- - -

Caught

"What am I going to do with you?"

The words ring out around the small area as Vincent Valentine stares down at the not-so-great ninja Yuffie Kisaragi, his red eyes flickering with annoyance as the girl on the floor in front of him groans and rubs her head. His mouth sits in its usual line, turned downwards at the edges only slightly enough to notice. The only thing about him that moves is his tattered red cloak as it flutters in the faint breeze of the clearing. The feeling of it parting around his face makes Vincent wonder why he was here in the first place.

He watches silently as Yuffie groans again and wedges her head between her knees. Her hands lock together and rest on the back of her cranium and her voice is not heard. This slightly amuses Vincent for it is hard to find the girl speechless. Yuffie and speechless barely ever fit into the same category.

"The mountains are no place for someone who has been away from fighting as long as you," he warns, eyes narrowing. They take in the appearance of the girl as she stands, correcting his brain that she is no longer a girl, but a woman. She is visibly taller, fuller, and a bit tanner, the latter serving to hide the bruises that decorate her skin quite well. Vincent assumes they are from the girl's training sessions, which he knows can get quite vigorous at times.

"I know, I know," she mumbles, running a hand through lengthening hair. Brown eyes are dull for a moment as she mulls in memories of days full of fighting and battles and excitement.

"So why were you out here?"

His expression does not change when hers flits to a pout. "Vinny," she begins, whining. "Wutai is so boring. I need fun! Watching kids isn't fun."

He wonders if she means her own children and apparently some of the thought appears on her face, for Yuffie laughs and shakes her head vigorously. Her palms fly up and face him and her hands shake.

"No, no, no, not my kids!" she says, laughing. After a moment, her expression fades to one of indifference. "I'm married, yeah, but kids? Nooooooo."

She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, frowning and staring at the ground. An awkward moment passes, for none of the AVALANCHE members ever relished talking of love and romance, save Aerith and Tifa, of course. But of course, Yuffie had no need to talk of that stuff because in the end it didn't matter. She had to marry who she was told to marry and that was it. Vincent stares at her, still soaking up the fact that she was married.

A married Yuffie. He ponders over the fact, wondering who it was, if they were decent, smart, and nice. But of course, even if he wasn't, no changes could be made. When two people were joined in Wutai, they were joined. He eyes the bruises again, but he cannot place them as fist-formed or manmade. They were too unnatural for that.

"But yeah. Why're you up here?" she continues, changing the subject in a flurry of words.

When Vincent is silent for a moment, she stomps her foot and crosses her arms over her chest. When she sees Vincent's gaze waver there for a moment, she laughs inwardly, but gives no evidence that she has seen that act away. He does not answer, which is classic for him. Rather, he shrugs and turns so as to walk away.

"Vinny," Yuffie whines once more, "c'mon, you can't just leave! It's been like...four years! I'm twenty-two now! You're...however old you are! We should talk. It gets boring sitting there with babies..."

When he keeps walking for a moment, she fears that she has failed, but the moment he stops, triumph fills her. Even Vincent got lonely. They both knew that. In a surge of joy, she runs forward, grabs the hand unplagued by the gauntlet, and pulls. Resistance meets her and she is catapulted backward with a small cry of surprise.

"Hey!" she calls out. "What was that for?"

Vincent stares down at her, blinking and shaking his head. No, she is not a woman. She is still a young girl. He can tell from the way her words flit through meanings, the way she tugs on his arm like a child wanting their father to play. She may look older, but she is not. In a surprising thought, Vincent notes how she will never be like–

"Gawd, Vinny, you're so lovelorn."

The words hit him and make him jerk his head upwards, looking at the forehead of the princess. He wonders when she had gotten so tall, then remembers her words: four years. Vincent had not been keeping track, so it was strange to have a number to the days and nights.

He does not reply to her accusation. Rather, he lets her lead him merrily through the forest, then the streets of Wutai, waving happily at citizens and introducing Vincent to a few.

"This is Vinny," she says to each and every one. "He may look big and bad, but he's a big softy at heart!" Then, she grins and walks more, unaffected by the uneasiness settling in her companion's chest. He knew they would talk of the princess's new 'male friend.' Word would reach her husband sooner or later.

"Yuffie," he mumbles softly, coming up with the best excuse he can that will get her hand off of his, "I cannot feel my hand."

With a gasp, the ninja drops his hand and jumps back, hands over her mouth. "Gawd, I'm sorry Vinny!" she says, mouth breaking into a grin at one point or another. "Geez, why didn't you say anything?"

But she does not wait for an answer. Instead, she walks off again, hair skimming her shoulders as she twirls through the streets of her hometown. He watches her with the same gaze, the one that betrays nothing of what is happening inside. He shrugs and follows, mulling over nothing.

"You can stay in the guest house!" Yuffie continues. "It's really cool, with a fountain and garden and stuff! You'll like it." And with that, she enters a side gate to the large pagoda she calls home.

Vincent waits a moment before following, wondering why he is still following the girl with her lengthening hair, deepening eyes, and barely older mind. He finds himself mistaken once again–Yuffie is not a young girl anymore, but she isn't a woman either. Rather, she is stuck in the awkward stage, the one where wisdom is being built up but pushed away by the quest for mere merriment. It is classic Yuffie. He cannot help but compare her to quiet, calm, and collected Lucrecia, noting the contrasts between the two. The list is endless.

"You comin' Vinny?" her voice rings out, breaking through his mind's fog. He nods and hurries forward.

In no time, he is standing in the middle of a large room. There are large screens separating the room into sections, all depicting summer scenes for it is, indeed, summer in Wutai. Behind the largest one is a bathtub, toilet, and sink. On the opposite end there is a large futon on the ground adorned in blues and yellows and greens. In the middle is a dining area and somewhere in the deep parts of the room is the kitchen. For a moment, Vincent feels uncomfortable as he watches Yuffie point everything out, grinning and taking a seat in a dining chair. It has been so long since he has been in true civilization and the presence of walls makes him feel slightly claustrophobic.

"Vinny?" Yuffie asks, voice curious and cautious. Vincent realizes that he has been staring into nothingness and quickly apologizes for his fault. "Nah, it's fine. Just makin' sure you're still down here on the Planet."

Her laugh rings out and Vincent musters a weak smile to go along, listening as the sound is amplified by the presence of the lacquered wooden walls and all but forced into his ears. It isn't long before she's telling him it's late and that she needs to go to bed and she'll be here in the morning and Vincent is alone. He wonders what he is doing here and the Chaos inside him hisses and scratches at his mentality, telling him to leave. He needs no contact with the world. He merely needs himself. As his thoughts begin to run around in his mind, he falters in his stoic and groans, rubbing his temples and telling Chaos to just shut up.

When he sleeps, he prepares for the usual dreams, the ones haunted by Lucrecia and Deepground. Instead, he sees nothing but the colors that make up his living quarters.

- - -

"Vincent? Vincent, wake up! Wake up!"

Déja vu.

For a moment, Vincent is back there in the garden, dozing and being irresponsible.

"Vinny?"

That one word puts him back in reality: he is in the guest room of Wutai's pagoda. The person above him is not Lucrecia, but Yuffie and for some reason that relieves him. He cracks open his eyes and finds himself staring up at the girl, whose hair is short once more. Absentmindedly, a gloved hand flits up and rolls a group of strands between his fingers. Then, he realizes what he is doing and jerks away, barely suppressing a cringe. He knows Yuffie is giving him a confused stare and is greatly relieved when she lets out a chuckle. Through his sleep glazed vision, he does not notice the color on her cheeks.

"Y-yeah," she begins, nodding, "I got it cut again. Hubby wasn't very happy, but oh well. I like it short."

She pushes a hand through her shortened locks, grinning and standing. A bright pink kimono falls from her body, looking as unnatural as the bruises it hides. Vincent stands too, dried mud falling from his clothing and onto the floor.

"Oh! Here!"

Before he could comprehend anything, clothes were being pushed into his hands. The pile was made up of simple black jeans and a long red button up, things considered 'in' around the world. He goes to change and when he exits, his dirty clothes are gone and Yuffie is lounging on the floor.

"Don't we look dandy," she says, grinning. "You're old stuff is being washed and don't worry–I told 'em to be careful with the cloak."

A smile passes over her lips and she gestures to the breakfast on the table.

"So, Vinny, why're you here?"

The question stares him down, daring him to answer when it knows he most likely will not. Why was he here? He was here because he missed the faces of his old comrades, because their joy was missing from his life. Vincent had never ben one to muster joy.

"I simply needed a face," he replies simply.

"Why mine?"

Count on Yuffie to ask questions.

"You were closest."

For a moment, the two look at each other, Vincent towering over the sitting Yuffie. Yuffie wonders if she is making more of the sentence than she is supposed to be. She merely smiles and laughs, unsure. This, in turn, makes Vincent let a ghost of a laugh pass through his lips.

"What do you think of him?" he asks simply, referring to her husband. He dislikes the look of unease that crosses her face.

She glares up at him, knowing that he knows she dislikes this subject even though they've only spoken of it once. "He's nice. He tries...it's not...love or anything, just a mutual something," she says, smiling. "Sometimes he gets stressed, but it's all good in the end."

A black eyebrow arches upwards and Vincent nods. "Stressed," he says simply.

"He yells a little," Yufffie clarifies. "Slams doors. That's really all. Government doesn't rub him the right way." Her gaze becomes a glare once more and her voice indignant. "He doesn't hit me!"

"I didn't say he did."

"Well he doesn't."

"Okay, then, Yuffie."

"Vinny, you don't believe me!"

"I do."

The dark haired man bends down and catches a cloth covered wrist. The pink fabric is pushed back, revealing a few small bruises along the outside and inside of her arms.

"But," he says quietly, "he does hurt you. What does he do?" A few pale fingers run up her arm and red eyes narrow, trying to figure out what could cause such inconspicuous marks.

"He has this staff," she mumbles, embarrassed, "with this little metal ball thing on the end. He carries it around all the time and sometimes he just gets really mad and lashes it out. It's just an acc–OW."

Red eyes flash to a face contorted in pain. Yuffie is attempting to bite the cry back, but fails. When he applies pressure to the same spot once more, the princess whimpers. A kimono sleeve is pushed away from Yuffie's shoulder, revealing a large, fresh bruise, one that looked 'natural.' It is large, caused by a fist, and is a deep shade of purple.

"Vincent, you can stop," Yuffie mumbles, backing away and glaring at him. "It's nothing. I'm fine...I don't really mind. Keeps me tough, y'know?"

She musters a grin, one that fades to an unsure smile when Vincent reaches his hand up and runs it through his hair, which is loose in the absence of a bandana.

"That's why I'm here," he says, nodding. "Cloud and the others told me you might be having trouble. I am here because they sent me. I am here because we are worried." He sighs, standing for a moment and walking over to Yuffie. "I am here because I care."

And then, he leans down once more, hand pushing the other sleeve of the kimono off, lips latching onto a shoulder, nursing slightly upon the skin around the large bruise. It is a moment before those same lips travel up, hovering before claiming another pair in a proper kiss.

"Vinny..." Yuffie mumbles, tone an octave deeper than her usual whine. She repeats it, voice firmer. "Vincent...if we got caught like this, you'd be sent to death."

The man does not reply. Instead, he continues his musings, biting down slightly upon the girl's jawbone as she wraps her arms around his torso absentmindedly. Soon, those hands travel up and become caught in a sea of black hair.

"We won't get caught," he mumbles into her collarbone, hands fluttering over the collar of her kimono. Staring down into blood red eyes, Yuffie thinks that if he thinks that then they surely won't get caught.

They are.

- - -

Thanks for reading! Reviews are welcome.


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